Recently, a Kolkata based start-up has come up with the idea of Period Leave for its female employees. FlyMyBiz, a company which deals in Software and Digital Marketing, has announced that all its women employees shall be granted one-day period leave every month from 2019.
This mov has got mixed reactions. May have applauded this initiative as bein sensitive and many have termed it as a publicity gimmick. “It is necessary for companies to be sensitive and understand the demand for leave on such days, but not all women agree to this, neither are they looking for a day off. We need productive forces to contribute to the economy, and not use anything as an alibi. One should respect the need in one-to-one case, but not paint it with a general brush,” says B. Das, Manager of a Kolkata firm.
We have 5,000 euphemisms for menstruation, still people hesitate to talk about it openly. While half of population undergoes this physio-mental trauma every month, the other half remains literally unaware, unperturbed. This creates a giant wall of gender divide, which restricts our evolution as a civilized society. Working Women suffer the most, as their employers expect them to work and remain productive despite them being in severe agony and stress.
Singer and Social Activist, who also hails from Kolkata, has applauded this initiative. “It feels amazing to see that a Kolkata based firm has come up with such an amazing concept. I believe that employee productivity is directly proportional to work satisfaction. The employee should me made to believe that the company really cares about her health”, she said.
After all, a sick employee can’t perform well and deliver expected results”, she further added.
Going forward, Soumita has urged other companies to follow this example and allow 1 day Period Leave to all women employees. “Women undergo several physical and mental complications during that period. While this is not a sickness, many of its symptoms are similar to that of various diseases or ailments. If organizations can offer sick leaves, what stops them from offering Period Leave?”, ask the famous singer.
“One may argue that an additional day off would mean a monetary loss to the company. While auditors may count it as loss in the balance sheet, a seasoned management would definitely realize the several days of productivity gained out of this one-day loss”, she added.
